APRIL 2008

V MAGAZINE – APRIL 2008

HOW MANY SQUARE FEET IS THE NEW YORK STORE? 

2,000 SQUARE FEET. 

WAS IT THE FIRST PLACE YOU LOOKED AT? 

YES. 

APART FROM LOCATION, WHAT WILL BE THE MAIN DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THIS STORE AND THE ONE IN PARIS? 

THE PARIS STORE IS MORE INTIMATE AND INSULATED, UPHOLSTERED AND LOOKING ONTO WHAT'S ESSENTIALLY A WALLED GARDEN. THERE'S A HIDDEN QUALITY TO IT. THE NEW YORK STORE IS HIGH CEILINGED, ON A CORNER WITH BIG WINDOWS LOOKING ONTO A KIND OF BARREN VIEW. IT FEELS MORE EXPOSED IN AN EMPTY LANDSCAPE. 

ARE YOU COLLABORATING ON THE INTERIOR DESIGN? 

I APPROACHED ARCHITECTS, BUT REALIZED THAT MY REQUIREMENTS WERE SO SPECIFIC THAT I WAS INSULTING THEM. I'M NOT TOO GREAT AT COLLABORATION. IT'LL BE PRETTY SIMPLE, REALLY. A WALL OF FOG AND A ROCK TO SIT ON. I WAS THINKING OF A BIG CAVE. 

WHAT MADE YOU CHOOSE THE NEIGHBORHOOD? 

I WAS DOUBLE CONVINCED OF THE LOCATION WHEN I REALIZED THAT MY FAVORITE CLUB, SHELTER, IS A BLOCK AWAY. I LOVE WAKING UP EARLY SUNDAY MORNING, GULPING A COFFEE AND GOING THERE FOR THEIR AFTER-HOURS. THE WINDOWS ARE BLACKED OUT, THE FOG MACHINE IS PUMPING AND IT'S PACKED BUT NOT TOO PACKED. IT'S VERY MELLOW OLD SCHOOL. LAST TIME, I LEFT AT 1 PM AND IT WAS STILL GOING STRONG. I LOVE THE PERVERSITY OF DENYING MORNING AND PLUNGING INTO THE DARK ON A COFFEE BUZZ. 

FIRST PARIS, NOW NYC—WHICH CITY IS NEXT FOR A STORE OPENING? 

I KNOW—NOW I'M HOOKED. I'M LOOKING AT SPACES IN LONDON AND VENICE.